Falling behind

These pix are about a week old, record peak bloom times (more or less), and are already out of date. But here we go anyway.

I know I have posted photos of the blue false indigo before, but it has been one of the stars this spring. Every time I think it has peaked, it outdoes itself.

And it bloomed in succession, from south to north, so the show just kept on going. If only it bloomed all summer long. It's done now, of course.

I'm new to dogwood, so wasn't sure when the Pagoda dogwood would bloom. And when it did, it wasn't all that spectacular. I tried to get some pix, but the blossoms were all at the top and I was too lazy to fetch a ladder. This is the best I could do from ground level.

This catmint is another star that keeps looking better and better. What I thought was milkweed popping up in the middle of it proved to be Indian hemp, which I've decided to discourage since it can rapidly take over an entire area.

The Betty Corning clematis is further along than this pic shows. I have two; one gets more sun and is usually bigger and fuller, but they are both stupendous specimens. Last year I purchased new tuteurs for them. Luckily, I decided to anchor the tuteurs to the downspouts; otherwise, the whole shebang would have toppled over by now.

I think this is the 'Blue Muffin' viberunum, blooming away but rarely does it set fruit. It is done now too.

Despite my neglect, a few irises bloom each year. They came with the house. I couldn't decide which pic I liked best, so here are two.

These are 'Sunny Twinkles' allium. I planted them many years ago, and each year they look a bit better. They are not quite tall enough for the back of the bed, but they do peek through.

If they stood up more and splayed less, they would probably be more visible; I think they need more sun. In this pic, they are surrounded by 'Zagreb' coreopsis which is just going wild this year, spreading into large masses. This is the only long-lived coreopsis I have ever found. Can't wait for it to bloom.

This shrubby clump turned out to be yellow sweet clover, an alien. It no longer lives here.

The rhododendron was a disappointment this year. I also managed to miss the peak bloom time for the cotoneaster. That pile of mulch (which is nearly gone) has taken up a lot of gardening time.

Meanwhile, I decided to eliminate the asparagus bed. Keeping it weeded was just too much work. Since a farmers market may be found here almost any day of the week in summer (and once a week all year long), growing my own food has lost its urgency. Also, Costco. Need I say more?